You Can Choose
by BearfootTruck
Summary: Shadow is minding his own business one day when Tails comes to him with a problem. How can it be resolved? Rated T for violence, language and a mention of rape.


Shadow the Hedgehog was taking advantage of a well-deserved day of rest. Having defended the northern border of the Kingdom of Mobius from another attack by the Roseinian Empire, he went to a large mansion near Rusty Ruin Zone. This mansion belonged to his associate and alleged love interest, Rouge the Bat. Having arrived at the mansion – a faded, grayish-brown monolith that betrayed the clean, luxurious interior – he headed to the library. Located on the first floor, the library had an extensive collection of books in both print and electronic form. Well-versed in the arrangement of the collection, Shadow didn't take long to find a book – "Feyfolken", to be precise. Once the Ultimate Life Form had selected the book, he plopped himself down on a leather armchair and began reading. Not long into the book, a loud buzzer sounded over a PA system.

"Unrecognized visitor at entrance," said a synthesized voice over the PA. "Please confirm identity."

With an annoyed "hmph", Shadow put down his book and made his way to the foyer. Situated next to the door was a high-definition monitor connected to a security camera outside the entrance. This display showed an orange fox with two tails standing outside. Recognizing the fox, Shadow opened the door.

"What do you want, Tails, and where's the Faker?"

Miles "Tails" Prower had his fists clenched and an angry look on his face.

"First of all, his name is Sonic, and second of all, why do you care where he is!?"

"Just answer the damn question."

"Well Shadow, if you _must_ know, he's in Emerald City, giving a lecture to some schoolkids. Me, I'm here because the world is so unfair! Look at it! The economy is doing poorly, people think it's funny to bully other people using electronic communication devices, nobody has respect for law enforcement anymore, men, women and children are being raped on a daily basis, people are being spied upon without consent…I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

Tails began jumping up and down, waving his fists.

"Calm down!" said Shadow. "CALM DOWN!"

Tails stopped jumping. "Don't tell me to calm down, you psycho!"

"I swear, if you call me another name, I'm going to ignore you, and furthermore, I'm going to make sure you NEVER come to this or any other property again. Do you understand?"

Tails hung his head. " _Yes_ … _sir_."

Shadow grabbed Tails by the collar. "Go ahead, give me more attitude. Nothing would please me more than to see your spinal cord ripped out through your throat. Now, do you understand that?"

Tails gulped. "A-all right…I understand."

Shadow let go of Tails. "Good. Now, what do you want me to do about your problems?"

"Shadow, you're into guns, right?"

"Yes. Why do you want to know?"

"Because, I was wondering if you had a firing range in this mansion…"

Shadow gave a curt nod. "There is a firing range in this mansion."

"Can I go there?"

"Why do you want to go down there?"

Tails averted his gaze and scraped his shoe against the ground. "Well, I wanted to practice firing a gun…"

" _Don't_ tell me you're going to kill people."

"Me?" Tails trembled a little. "N-no, I would never do anything like that; I just want to blow off a little steam…"

"Hmph, as long as you're not going to kill anybody, I won't say no."

"Thanks."

So, Shadow led Tails down to the second basement level of the mansion, where the firing range was located. Prior to entering the range itself, the two entered a large armory. All sorts of weapons could be found here, from thrown weapons to anti-tank weapons. There was also a computer terminal down here, which by default was set to a special directory program. Using said program, Tails browsed through the list of weapons. Though such a task would have seemed daunting to weapon lovers, it didn't take long for him to find what he wanted, and when he did, he walked down to the submachine guns section, where he picked out a Mini Uzi plus a couple of extra mags and some FMJ ammo. Now that he'd picked out his weapon, Tails followed Shadow to the range proper. Here, Shadow took the mags from Tails and proceeded to fill them with ammo.

"I can do that by myself, you know," said Tails.

Shadow stopped filling the mag that he was holding. "I'm just trying to be helpful. There's no need for arrogance here."

Tails rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that. Please, keep going."

Shadow did so. When all the mags were filled, Tails grabbed the Mini Uzi, loaded it and cocked it.

"You actually know how to use one of these?" asked Shadow.

"Of course I do!" replied Tails. "I've studied all sorts of weapons!"

"I won't doubt that."

"There's just one problem…"

"Which is…?"

"Where's the target?"

"Maybe this will help…"

Shadow pointed to a small terminal to Tails' left. Using this, Tails was able to choose from a massive variety of targets. He settled on a target that showed a blonde fox being held hostage by a scruffy gray beaver with a revolver. With the target picked out, he picked up the Mini Uzi and unfolded the stock. As he was about to take aim, Tails felt Shadow tap him on the shoulder.

"What is it now?" asked Tails.

"I almost forgot. You'll need _these_ …" Shadow produced a pair of ballistic glasses and earplugs.

"Thanks!"

Tails put on the glasses and earplugs. Then, he picked the Mini Uzi up again, set the selector switch to "A" for auto and took aim. With a deep breath, he unleashed a short burst at the target. Having never experienced 950 rounds per minute of death-dealing firepower, Tails yelped as the recoil nearly knocked him off his feet. None of the shots hit their intended target, but the hostage wasn't hit, either.

"Would you care to try something else?" asked Shadow.

"Nope."

This time, Tails set the selector switch to "R" for semi-auto, took aim again, and fired. The recoil was still a little troublesome for him, but this time, he hit the target. When he recovered his aim, he fired again, and the second shot hit its target. Encouraged, he squeezed off a third shot, and a fourth, and a fifth, and so on. While he wasn't the most precise shot in the world, Tails was proving to be really accurate. By the time he emptied the first magazine, he could feel adrenaline surging through his veins, and yet they felt ice cold as well.

Suitably buoyed by this, he reloaded the Mini Uzi and changed it back to full auto. This time, he was better able to control the weapon, only missing a few shots, but still not hitting the hostage. By the time he had expended the third mag, Tails' thought patterns mostly consisted of taking on the world. He refilled the empty mags, removed his earplugs + glasses and exited the range. He headed on out of the armory when…

" _Where_ are you taking that weapon?" Shadow put a hand on Tails' shoulder.

Tails froze in place. "Where the hell do you think I'm taking it?"

Shadow spun Tails around and backhanded him in the face. "What did I tell you about getting smart with me!?"

Tails snarled at Shadow. "You know, if I wasn't a hero, I would've shot you!"

Shadow backhanded Tails again. "Don't you EVER threaten me like that, you lousy little bitch!"

"Look, just leave me alone! I've got a mission to complete!"

Tails turned around and stomped away. However, Shadow spun him around again. Rather than hitting him this time, the Ultimate Life Form snatched the Mini Uzi from him. Dissatisfied, Tails made a grab for the gun, but Shadow cast it aside, grabbed him by the shoulders and squeezed.

"Tails, I'm willing to ignore all of the crap you're giving me, but you have to listen to me. I'm offering you a choice: you can choose to let the state of the world bother you and ruin your day, or you can choose to let life go on and focus on whatever pleases you."

Tails snarled. "Yeah right! Like it's that easy!"

Shadow relaxed his grip. "I know it hurts. I've been through some major life-changing events, and I'm still trying to cope with the aftermath. If you need help, I'm willing to be here for you, but you have to be willing to let go."

Tails raised his eyebrows. "You'll really help me out?"

Shadow nodded slightly. "Yes, you heard correctly. I'm giving you a chance to be happy."

Tails shook his head slightly. "Shadow…I…I don't know what to say…"

Shadow pulled Tails in a little closer. "You don't have to say anything."

Then, the inch that Shadow gave to Tails became a yard; Tails hugged him and buried himself in Shadow's chest fur. As he tried to comprehend the situation, Tails sobbed, which soon turned into soft crying. Hugging Sonic was one thing; he felt love, happiness and sheer levity. However, with Shadow, he felt a different kind of love, the kind that didn't frolic through fields under clear summer skies. Rather, this love sat by the window on a rainy day, beckoning for something that could never be had again.

Actually, this something must have come back, because Shadow now felt a strange sensation welling up inside of him. The only reason he didn't let it out was because he feared that his compassion wouldn't be accepted, and he usually didn't know what fear was. Then again, blowing away assorted nasties with an M16 was one thing; opening himself to somebody else was another. Nevertheless, the Ultimate Life Form held Tails for as long as possible. Eventually, Tails stopped crying, though he continued to hold Shadow, and the latter let him do so.

Finally, when Tails let go, he said, "Thanks, Shadow. I had no idea you were so kind."

"You'd be surprised." Shadow handed Tails a tissue, one of many that he kept for situations like this. "Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"

Tails blew his nose. "Yeah, but first…I'm sorry I called you a psycho and threatened to shoot you."

"And I'm sorry I hit you and called you a bitch."

"Once again, thanks. Now, I was wondering: do you have any ice cream here?"

"We have plenty of ice cream."

"So can I have some with you?"

"You may. Allow me to put this away first…"

Shadow unloaded the Mini Uzi, unloaded the mags and put everything away.

"Enough delaying," said Shadow. "Let's have ice cream."

"Thanks!"

Tails smiled and held Shadow's hand. The Ultimate Life Form didn't even push him away. Who was he to shun a life he saved?


End file.
